You Are What You Think About

Overcoming fear with clear goals (Candace)

This week has been interesting for me. Just in the past week or two, I’ve begun to manage dreams for some of my closest friends. The dream management process is somewhat long and arduous at first, as it requires us to think in concrete ways about what we hope to become and accomplish in and for the rest of our lives.

And this is an uncomfortable process for the dreamer. It forces them to 1) write down the things that have floated around in their heads for years; 2) commit in some small way to actually taking the steps to accomplish the dreams; and 3) share these dreams that have been so personal for so long with me and with those they care about.

And it brings up a number of insecurities and limiting beliefs for the dreamer.

“Why haven’t I already accomplished this? Why have I gotten in my own way? Can I really accomplish these dreams now if I haven’t accomplished them yet?”

This is such a natural reaction to the dream management process, and everyone goes through this stage in their own way. It’s a daunting task to think about what you want your professional, financial, family and spiritual life to look like in five years.

But in one word, my response to the questions above is YES. You can and will accomplish these dreams. First, you are writing them down. Fewer than 1% of the world ever get this far. Second, you are building in accountability partners to help you accomplish them. Fewer than 1% of those who write goals down ever look at them again, much less ask someone else to.

I started my first dream list when I was 25. I had 77 dreams on that list. And I accomplished all of them by the time I was 35. And now I’m starting a new one. This time I have 130 dreams. And I’ll likely ask for your help in accomplishing at least one of them.

I bring this up today because Andrew introduced me to Earl Nightingale last night. You may have heard of his theory, The Strangest Secret, or some iteration of it in more recent years (i.e. The Secret), but in any version you may have read, one theme rings true. Your life becomes what you think about.

If you focus on fears or the negative aspects in life, you will continue to see more of them. But if you begin to focus your life on positive expectations and goals and aspirations, you are more likely to accomplish them.

Even I have my days of fear and doubt, but I’m getting so much out of managing dreams for some of my dear friends. They reminded me that our success is largely within our control.